Pounding Panthers Chronicle:Week 13
In this week’s edition of the Chronicle we will wrap up the holiday weekend that was for the Carolina Panthers. What does the future hold for the backfield on both sides of the ball for the Panthers? The rumor mill is already in full production, could we see one or more coaches targeted? These questions and more will be answered in this special edition.
Week 11 Recap:
It was the “throw Down in Uptown” in Charlotte, North Carolina during week 11. It was the matchup that Panthers fans dreamed of. With one miracle already accomplished, reuniting with former Panthers quarterback Cam Newton, and now there was an opportunity to accomplish a second miracle. The Washington Football Team would not be considered a major win on the schedule, but it would be a nice feather to add to the fedora of Panthers fans. The matchup with former Panthers head coach Ron Rivera in week 11 marked the first the former coach had returned as the opposition. The energy for the game could be felt in the stands as Panthers fans had answered the call to service placed by Cam Newton in the lead-up to the game this past Sunday. There were few empty seats that could be found in Bank of America stadium, with a light mix of WFT fans. There was a noticeable difference in the stands compared to the previous home games that we have seen this season. The crescendo of the energy in the stadium occurred when Cam Newton came charging out of the tunnel. The electricity buzzing through the stands didn’t burn out during the introduction of the team.
The Panthers came out swinging as many expected they would, dishing out body blows of six and eight yards at a time, landing some solid shots of 10+ yards, including landing one square on the chin with a ten yard strike from Newton to DJ Moore. The opening drive exemplified what this game would be, a street fight, and both teams were looking to figuratively punch the other in the mouth.
The Defense came out delivering it’s version of a 1-2 combo, forcing a three and out by the Washington offense, and in the following outing forcing and recovering a fumble inside their own 20-yardline. Morgan Fox was in on causing the fumble, and Frankie Luvu recovered the loose ball that killed the WFT drive. The momentum appeared to be in the Panthers hands but the offense was unable to capitalize, going three and out, and punting the ball back to Washington.
The earlier turnover blanketed the fact that the Panthers defense struggled to contain the Washington offense. On the next drive for Ron Rivera’s offense they were able to navigate their way into the endzone. The Panthers would answer back in the second quarter on a Cam Newton 24-yard touchdown run. It was a reminder to Panthers fans and the NFL of what Cam could do in the black and blue jersey. Cam was not done on the day, adding a second passing touchdown on the day, and currently sets Cam on a ridiculous scoring pace. Through two games Newton has already tallied up five total TD’s, and his usage in the Arizona game was sparingly. I don’t think that this pace can be maintained through the rest of the season, but it does signify that Superman appears to be just as explosive as he ever was.
In the confines of Bank of America stadium the defense struggled to contain the Washington rushing attack. There were flashes of greatness by the Carolina defense but this was outdone by their own miscues. Even still with the defensive struggles that were face at no point did the game feel out of reach for the Panthers. When former Panthers kicker Joey Slye connected on a short field goal to push the late lead to six it would fall on the offense to win the game. Unfortunately on fourth down, Cam was sacked trying to escape the pocket, ending all hopes of a victory on Cam’s return to Bank of America stadium with a turnover on downs.
Turkey Legs and Footballs
There are many traditions that are demonstrated during the Thanksgiving holiday. One of those traditions has become synonymous with Thanksgiving and that is the playing of football on this day. All across the nation you can find families and friends coming together to enjoy a good meal and take part in some football. For many people their only involvement is holding a half-conscious post on the couch with their pants unbuttoned. A growing concern in this institution known as football on Thanksgiving is why are we forced to watch the Detroit Lions play year after year? They are a franchise that wasted one of the greatest running backs to ever carry a football and possibly the number 1 deep threat of all-time. There is a plethora of reasons that can be given as to why the Lions should not be playing in a primetime slot like Thanksgiving. Often we here statements out of the League Front Office like “on-field product” referring to the quality of play by the team. For the majority of my lifetime the Lions have been in or near the cellar of the league every single year. The term Dumpster Fire seems too kind for the Detroit Lions. They are a franchise that has consistently picked in the top-10 of the draft year after year and done little to nothing. In yet another installment of Detroit Lions’ Thanksgiving Day football we were subjected to an awful game. It was clear that kneecaps were not on the menu for the festive pregame meal. At what point will enough be enough? No one expects that every game be entertaining, but there are far more deserving teams than the Detroit Lions
Week 12 Recap:
There is only one way to describe the performance put forth by the Carolina Panthers and that is embarrassing. There is little that could be looked at and called a success for the Panthers after Miami dismantled them on both sides of the ball. The Dolphins entered the game on a 3-game winning streak, and that streak would remain alive after the game. This game was never in question for the Dolphins and in a second week in a row the defense of the Panthers failed to show up. This is a defense that has ranked extremely high in multiple metrics and yet none of this matter on the field in Miami. It appeared that Miami was able to do anything they desired. The Panthers’ misfortunes started when for the second time this season the Panthers fall victim to a blocked punt. When punting from your own endzonea blocked punt means one of two things, and both lead to points for the other team. The Panthers would snap back from this as we were given a glimpse into what could await us in the future with the offense. Cam Newton and DJ Moore would hook up that would result in a 64-yard pickup. The drive would end with a one yard rushing touchdown by Cam Newton. The next two drives for the Panthers would not fair as prosperous as they would both end in an interception by Cam Newton. The defense of the Panthers would step up after the first interception but the second was a back breaking moment. The Panthers would concede fourteen unanswered points and were on the verge of relinquishing more if not for a botched snap just before the half. Frankie Luvu scooped the loose ball, and in a chaotic sprint pushed the ball into field goal range before going down with a single second preserved on the clock. The Panthers would convert the gifted field goal before halftime.
The 2021 season for the Panthers has been plagued by a lack of scoring in the second half and that continued in Miami. The coaching staff’s inability to make adjustments or alterations to the gameplan as the game unfolded. The defensive line of the Dolphins clearly understood that if they were not able to pressure the quarterback then their plan was to clog the passing lanes. This is something you will hear from occasionally but there may have been more schemes behind the move. It was obvious who and where the check-down options for quarterback Cam Newton were. This put the Dolphins defensive line in prime placement to knock down passes, and they did this all game long.
Christian McCaffrey was notably absent from the field at key moments throughout the first half, and we would learn later that McCaffrey’s season would be over. A foot/ankle injury landed the star running back on IR again ending his season. The Panthers coaching staff found themselves in a situation that they should be familiar with, an offense without CMC, but we saw the exact opposite from the offense this Sunday. The Panthers were shutout in the second half by a Dolphins defense that seems to have it figured out. With the game out of reach we saw Cam Newton benched for PJ Walker, though this does not seem to hold any outlook for the future. Walker did appear to have a more fluid performance within the offense, though this could be contributed to Cam’s lack of time with the team.
CMC was not the only one to see their season come to an early win Sunday as Donte Jackson was sidelined with a groin injury and was placed on IR this past Monday when the same designation was given to CMC
Where the Rhule Blows
It is that tumultuous time of year in the college ranks when head coaches cut ties when a bigger job comes a calling. In the past week there were two major moves that took place in the college ranks, Lincoln Riley and Brian Kelly both found themselves in new locations. The vacancy at Oklahoma created by Lincoln Riley has no shortage of names to be filled with. An early name to be thrown around is one that you currently find on an NFL payroll. Matt Rhule, who prior to the Panthers, his entire career was at the college level, and he was praised as a program builder. One perspective is that the reason his name would be mentioned would be due to a possible pending release from his current position. Panthers owner David Tepper has kept a “win-now” mentality and winning is not something Rhule has done much of in Carolina. Rhule was a surprise hire by the new owner David Tepper, his seven year contract was just as surprising, but if Tepper decided to fire the first-time NFL head coach it would not displease the fan base. There are already rumblings within the fans calling for the coach to be removed. If folks were to wake up to the news that a certain coach would be taking up the position in Norman, Oklahoma it may come to the sound of subtle applauds.